H.R. 7742 — Keep It Moving Act

This section establishes time limits for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) action on covered applications (i.e., applications for transfer of control or assignment of licenses) by adding a new section 417 to Title IV of the Communications Act of 1934. Specifically, the FCC must (1) determine completeness of a covered application within 15 days of filing (deemed complete if not notified) and issue public notice within 7 days thereafter; (2) if incomplete, allow amendment with a 5-day completeness review (also deemed complete if not notified); (3) approve the application within 180 days after public notice, or within 1 year if issuing a formal information request or referring to the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (with up to a 90-day extension for secondary review); (4) if designating for hearing, conclude the hearing and issue a final order within 15 months after public notice; and (5) if missing a deadline, entitle the applicant to a writ of mandamus compelling action (issued no later than 72 hours after petition). Determinations of incompleteness are reviewable, with the application deemed complete retroactively (to 15 or 5 days after filing) if found unreasonable.

This section expands the right to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decisions on applications to transfer, assign, or dispose of a construction permit or station license to include cases where the application is designated for hearing, granted subject to conditions to which the applicant objects, or determined to be not complete (previously, appeals were available only if denied). (Thus, such applicants may seek direct judicial review of additional FCC actions on transfers of FCC broadcast and other communications licenses.)